Weary Rockets embrace rare 3-day break

James Harden and the rest of the Rockets likely will not see any more scowls from Dwight Howard in the next couple days. A busy schedule to start the season has slowed up a bit, yielding the Rockets' first three-day break all year.

James Harden and the rest of the Rockets likely will not see any...

The Rockets have had few moments to breathe this season.

One of just eight teams to play 22 games so far, the Rockets have not had more than two days between games - and they've had two consecutive days off only twice.

"It will be nice to actually have back-to-back days to work with a practice formula," he said. "We will work on our stuff Tuesday, then come back Wednesday and refine it."

Recovery time needed

With the amount of injuries the Rockets are facing - Chandler Parsons is still struggling with back spasms, Jeremy Lin and Greg Smith have been out with sprained knees, and Omer Asik has missed time with a bruised thigh - the break could not have come at a better time.

"This is huge, especially for me and Jeremy right now, just to be able to take three days, get your body right," Parsons said. "Just to be constantly playing and the amount of minutes I've been playing, it's tough. Stuff is going to keep lingering. To be able to have a break like this is going to be really beneficial."

It's good for those with ailments and for those who have logged extra minutes to make up for the injury-related absences.

"It is good for the guys who have been playing a lot - James (Harden), myself, Terrence (Jones), Patrick (Beverley). I think we need days like this to rest our bodies," center Dwight Howard said. "Even though we will practice and go hard, it is a little different than a game."

Jones, in his second year in the NBA and his first as a starter, said a couple of days of practice will help him as he continues to learn his place on the floor.

Growth opportunity

"I still have a lot to learn, and playing in games is great, but being able to be with my teammates and coaches in practice is really good for me," he said. "I get a lot of lessons from practice. I am happy we are going to have some time for that."

The Rockets have had two two-day breaks since the season started, both in mid-November. They played Denver on Nov. 16, then Boston on Nov. 19. Then they played Dallas on Nov. 20 and Minnesota on Nov. 23.

The rest have all been one-day breaks, and they have played five back-to-backs.

"I feel like we've been playing every other day," Harden said. "Guys can come in and just relax a little bit, get off their feet, focus and practice on what we've seen so far this season and kind of go over them a little bit."